Anxiety can be a nearly impossible mental illness to deal with on your own. It can immobilize you and stop you from doing the things you love. Whether you have social anxiety disorder or generalized anxiety disorder, it can negatively impact your life in a long list of ways.
There are plenty of medications, natural treatments, and home remedies out there that help in overcoming social anxiety disorder. However, one lesser discussed options is adopting an emotional support animal (ESA). Whether you choose a social anxiety service dog or soothing therapy cat, an ESA can help you cope with many different aspects of your mental illness.
A Sense of Purpose
One huge benefit of having an ESA is an added sense of purpose. Sometimes anxiety leads to depression and you end up feeling unmotivated and worthless. You can feel like there’s no point to your life, even when that’s far from the truth. Emotional support animals help with this by giving you a reason to get up and moving every day. Not only do they become your friend and offer companionship, but they rely on you for exercise, love, and food. There are plenty of people out there who get out of bed every day solely for their pets.
More Motivation
Anxiety can make it hard to do the simplest things, such as going to the store or making phone calls. ESAs help with this, because they force you to do those every day things you’re scared to do. Going to the store to buy pet food or picking up the phone to make a vet appointment is easier when you’re doing for a creature that you love. Also, if they are a certified ESA you can take them into most public places with you and have a sense of home and comfort with you everywhere you go.
Higher Self Esteem
A big trigger for social anxiety can be a low self esteem. If you don’t feel good or confident in your own skin then it’s hard to believe that other people want to be around you. This can make it considerably harder to perform basic social functions for fear that you will get on someones nerves or say something that you think this is stupid. An ESA such as a social anxiety service dog can help to boost your self esteem, because they give you love and companionship as well as the pride of knowing you are taking good care of them, too.
Let An ESA Help You
If you’re struggling with anxiety you should definitely consider getting qualified for a social anxiety service dog or some other kind of ESA. They can bring enrichment, love, and joy to your life on a daily basis and help you become a better version of yourself. You can even do online qualification, so go ahead and get started today.